President Kersti Kaljulaid on Tuesday called Russia's attack on Ukrainian naval vessels war in Europe and called upon the international community to immediately condemn this act of aggression.

"Russia attacked Ukrainian military vessels on the Sea of Azov on Sunday," the president said in a statement. "We have to call things by the right names — this is war in Europe. The Ukrainian people have been at war since 2014, and Crimea remains under occupation."

Kaljulaid said that she is calling on the international community and the leaders of the democratic world to join her in this statement and clearly, jointly and without delay condemn Russia's aggression and demand an end to it.

"Tacit acknowledgement of what happened de facto means the recognition of the occupation of Crimea," the president asserted. "The values-based international community cannot afford this. War in Europe cannot and will not ever again be accepted as business as usual."

The Foreign Affairs and National Defence Committees of the Riigikogu on Monday discussed the situation in Ukraine at an extraordinary meeting and expressed its disapproval of Russia's aggression in the Kerchi Strait.

Members of the Riigikogu, meanwhile, are drawing up a declaration on the matter and are to propose handling it at a plenary sitting this week.

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